Selectmen's Meeting Notes, August 17, 2016

August 17 at 10:31pm ·

It was an interesting Selectmen's Meeting tonight..........
The meeting was scheduled to start at 6 pm, however, I walked into the Selectmen's Meeting Room at 5...:42 pm and the meeting was already in full conversation.

Paula Mills Busby, Dana Coull and Ben Thompson joined me, all before 6 pm, but they missed more than half of Laura Bragg's discussion.............
So here is what was happening at the Lebanon Board of Selectmen's Meeting tonight..........
Laura Bragg has offered to collect donated school supplies this year......... Selectman Chrstine Torno said, "Sure!!".......so there will be boxes for donated school supplies at the Town Office this year, but it will be Laura Bragg as the contact person for pick up and distribution of the donations.
Ms. Bragg also has offered to do all the Turkey Baskets this year.....traditionally done by the Town Office staff, Ms. Bragg asked if she could collect the donations and do the Turkey Baskets this year......Once again, Selectman Torno said "Sure!!"..... allowing Ms. Bragg to take control of the town's Turkey Baskets for Thanksgiving, leaving donation boxes in the Town Office, and then retrieving them and putting together the baskets. How will they be distributed? That was not discussed. But apparently it won't be a privacy issue for someone other than Town Office personnel to know who is getting them.
There was no vote by the Board of Selectmen to allow Ms. Bragg to take over the donations and distribution of the Town's Turkey Baskets, however Selectman Torno made the decision that it was okay.
Ms. Wilson asked if it were the Little League, Girl Scouts, or some other group that would be taking over the Turkey Basket donations, and was told, No.
Ms Wilson asked who would be seeing to the Turkey Basket donations, typically overseen by the Secretary to the Overseers of the Poor and the General Assistance personnel at the Town Office, and Ms. Bragg stated it would be her and a number of her friends.
Ms. Bragg then asked about Prospect Hill Cemetery. She stated that she had seen questions about it on Social Media, and that she remembers that the Budget Committee had raised the money to see to it that Prospect Hill Cemetery would come back under Lebanon direction, so she wanted to know how that was coming along.
Selectman Heath, asked Ms. Bragg, "The Budget Committee raised the money?"
To which Ms. Bragg answered affirmatively, but then stated that she had misspoke but that the Budget Committee had worked hard in helping to work on those Budget numbers.
Selectman Torno said that she did not understand what the issue was with the Prospect Hill Cemetery, and Selectman Nadeau tried to explain the situation quickly, but was incorrect in his explanation.
Ms. Wilson spoke to Selectman Torno stating that the money had been sent to the Town of Milton for the first part of Lebanon's half of legal expenses, but that the TOWN had raised and appropriated the money to continue on with the legal issues plaguing the cemetery, in order for the final acceptance of responsibility by the Town of Lebanon in caring for the cemetery located within our town's borders.
Ms. Bragg then stated she had seen on Social Media that the Selectmen had fired Bernstein Shur as the Town's Attorney..... This was stated by The Lebanon Voice after that rag's editor had attended a Milton Selectmen's Meeting. Selectman Torno stated that SHE had not fired Bernstein Shur, and that she had seen the Social Media report but that it was not the truth.
The meeting continued with Ms. Bragg stating she thought that the Board needed to hire a live body to answer telephone calls at the Town Office. She related her aggravation in trying to call to speak to someone and getting the voice mail time after time, and never getting a call back. Selectman Torno stated that she agreed that there needed to be someone to answer the phones and that they were working on that issue.
Paula Busby asked to be heard on that issue, asking Selectman Torno if anything had been done with regards to the message links on the Town Website.
2 weeks ago, Busby and Wilson had brought the issue to the Selectmen's attention that messages being sent to the Board or Town Office via the Town Website were going unseen and unanswered.
At the time, Selectmen's Assistant Sue Collins admitted that she had known about the situation, but that she had no idea where messages or e mails sent to through the Town Website were ending up, but that she had not contacted anyone to find out the answers. Selectman Torno had stated that they would look into it.
During tonight's meeting, when Ms. Busby asked about the messages and for an update on whether anyone had called Virtual Town Hall to find out how to retrieve resident messages, Selectman Torno stated she thought Ms. Collins had called Virtual Town Hall, but she wasn't sure.
Ms. Bragg then questioned the Select Board regarding the MSAD#60 vote, and the changing of the date of the Lebanon Town Vote in order to coincide. She stated that having 2 separate dates for mailing in of absentee ballots was confusing and that many had mailed them in too early, and the absentee ballots were thrown out if they arrived before the valid date.
Selectman Heath asked who the Town Representatives were to the School Board, and Ms. Bragg stated that Nancy Neubert and Ms. Potter were the Lebanon Reps to the School Board, and that there was a third, but she was unsure of who the third one was. None of the Selectmen knew either.
Selectman Heath stated that he thought that Ms. Bragg ought to make the School Board Reps aware of this concern, and that he thought the Board, and the Town, had done more than enough to help coincide the Town Vote with the School Budget Vote, and that maybe the School Board ought to be willing to bend a bit and tweak their rules too.
Selectman Torno stated that perhaps the Lebanon Reps were not aware that the problem had existed, but agreed with Heath that the School Board Reps ought to be contacted on this concern.
Ms. Bragg's next question for the Board was regarding the old Lebanon Forestry truck. She wanted to know if the Lebanon Fire and EMS would be putting that vehicle up for sale.
Selectman Heath answered that selling the truck was in the works.
Resident Deborah Wilson stated that she had just seen conversation on Social Media that Chief Meehan was working on that and that the sale would be announced shortly.
Selectman Torno stated that the Chief had said he was going to list the truck for sale in the Smart Shopper, on the Town Website, and in one other publication, but could not remember what that publication was.
Ms. Bragg concluded her questions to the Board.
The Board were making preparations to close the meeting.
Deborah Wilson asked if there would be time allotted for "Other Business" and Selectman Torno stated that there was no other business on the agenda.
Ms. Bragg instructed Selectman Torno that at the end of each Selectmen's meeting there is always time set aside for "Other Business" or Public Participation or concerns.
Selectman Torno decided to allow for the Other Business. It was noted by all in attendance that although Ms. Bragg's part in the meeting were finished, she remained at the Board Table. We wondered why she was allowed to stay as Selectman Nadeau has often been sure to ask people to leave the table when their part in the meeting was complete.
Ms. Wilson asked what time the evening Selectmen's meeting had begun. Selectman Torno stated that the meeting had started 2 or 3 minutes before 6 pm. Ms. Wilson stated that she had arrived about about a quarter before 6 and the meeting was already well in session. Selectman Torno stated that was her fault, that she had started the meeting early.
Wilson stated that there was so much confusion in the meeting times lately, and that this particular meeting had been changed several times over the last few days.
Again Torno stated that it had been her decision to start the meeting early.
Ms. Wilson stated that she had seen two openings in Town Office advertised. One for Town Clerk, and the other for Deputy Collector (Part Time). Ms. Wilson wondered if there were another employee leaving Town Office. Selectman Torno stated that the Part Time employee Kathleen was consistently working 30 hour weeks, and that she felt that another part time person was needed so that the hours could be divided between two people.
Ben Thompson spoke regarding numbers of employees and the need for the Town Selectmen to remember that it is numbers of employees that are counted when determining if the Town would have to cover employees through the Affordable Care Act. Thompson stated that when he had left office in May, the Town had been on the border of having to pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Since he had left office, the Selectmen had hired three new hires at the Transfer Station and there was now two in the Treasurer's Office, new hires at the Fire and EMS station and now they were talking about hiring another person in Town Office.
Thompson cautioned the Board they may already be over the number of employees that would require participation in the Affordable Care Act.
Thompson stated that with the Transfer Station now closed on Mondays to save the town money, he wondered why there were three new hires at the Transfer Station.
Selectman Nadeau stated that they were working the same amount of man hours, but that they were spreading the hours around to more people.
Thompson stated that the hours worked had nothing to do with participation requirements of the Affordable Care Act, and that it had to do with the numbers of employees. He added that when he left office, the town was already over the number of employees that demanded compliance with the FMLA (Family Leave), so that they were required to give former Town Clerk Mandy Grenier maternity leave.
Selectman Nadeau once again stated that the new hires at the Transfer Station were all together working the same amount of hours, but Thompson reminded him once again that the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and the FMLA were based on the number of employees, and not on the number of hours being worked.
Selectman Torno stated she would look into it.
Ms. Wilson asked the Board to explain how it came to pass that the original figure of $7,000 for a forestry truck for the Lebanon Fire and EMS Department had ballooned to $29,000.00. Ms. Wilson stated that she had seen the new truck and that she was pleased with what the Department had managed to do with $29,000.00, but she wanted to know why the original $7,000.00 had not been wire transferred to the auction house to purchase the original vehicle from Natick, MA.
Selectman Torno stated that the Chief was happy with his new forestry truck.
Once again Wilson stated that she had seen the truck, and that it was a GREAT tuck, but she wondered how the Board had decided not to send a $7,000.00 wire transfer to the auction house for the Natick truck.
Selectman Torno stated that she would take responsibility for that decision as she was not comfortable with the wire transfer.
Wilson asked if this had been her decision, of if it had been a Board decision. She asked if there had been a vote of the Board of Selectmen not to wire transfer the money to the auction house, and, instead, to authorize $29,000.00 from the CIP account for the Scarborough truck.
Again, Torno stated that she had not been comfortable with the wire transfer.
Ms. Wilson asked her why.
Selectman Torno stated that she was worried that somewhere along the way, the account numbers might have been hacked and put the Town's finances in jeopardy.
Ms. Wilson asked the Selectman if she knew anything about wire transfers, and she stated she did not.
Ms. Wilson asked her if she had taken the time to research what a wire transfer actually was, and any risks associated with them, or if she had bothered to call the bank with her concerns.
Selectman Torno stated she worked full time and did not have the time to research wire transfers before making her decision.
Ms. Wilson asked Selectman Heath if he had voted not to send the wire transfer.
Selectman Heath stated he could not recall how he had voted.
Ms. Wilson asked the Senior Selectman if he even knew what a wire transfer was......... to which he answered that he did not know.
Ms. Wilson outlined what happens during a wire transfer.
Selectman Heath stated that he wished he had that information prior to being asked to send a wire transfer, he might have thought more about it.
Ms. Wilson told him that any questions he had, SHOULD have been answered by a competent Town Treasurer, and right now, the Town of Lebanon has TWO people working in our Treasurer's Office, and if competent, one of them should have known about wire transfers and how easy and safe they were.
Selectman Torno said, "We're not going to go there about the Town Treasurer".....
Ms. Wilson continued to address Selectman Heath, stating it had taken her only several minutes to call the Better Business Bureau in Nevada regarding the reputation of the auction house, which was excellent, and to speak to her own bank to find out the safety and security of wire transfers. She asked Selectman Heath if he had bothered to make a phone call, or whether they had asked the Town Treasurer to make a few phone calls to that regard.
He admitted he had not.
Again, Selectman Torno stated that she worked full time and didn't have the time to make those calls.
Ms. Wilson stated that she had read the Terms of Sale on the auction house website and that the Board had 5 days to make that decision, asking if in 5 days one of the Selectmen or one of the two Treasurers couldn't have managed to make a 10 minute telephone call.
Selectman Torno said it was too little time to make the calls and make the decision.
Ms. Wilson addressed Selectman Torno, stating that this was not her decision alone, nor her responsibility.
Ms. Wilson asked the Selectman why every answer she made was "I" or "ME" when she was part of a 3 member board.
Selectman Torno stated it was a habit.
Once again, Wilson asked if there had been a vote not to wire transfer the money, or if Selectman Torno had made the decision herself.
Ms. Wilson asked Selectman Nadeau if he had voted not to wire transfer the money and got no answer.
And then it happened. The Lie.
Selectman Heath spoke up and said that he now recalled that he had voted not to send the wire transfer.
Ms. Wilson stated that she knew there had been no vote.
Several times during the conversation, Selectman Torno reminded the onlookers that the Chief was happy with his purchase, and several times the public in attendance agreed that the new truck was amazing, and that we were all happy Chief had been able to purchase it. However the agreed upon issue from the public sector was not the nice truck the department was able to purchase, but the competency of the two people who were acting as fiduciaries of Town finances, and their inability to exact such an easy transaction comfortably. This seemed to be lost on the Board, as they continued to speak highly of the new forestry truck.
Wilson asked if any of them had seen the truck yet, and they admitted that they had not.
Wilson told them the truck was pretty amazing, and that they should stop and have a look.
Deborah Wilson told the Board that if they were stuck on an answer, or did not know enough about an issue or procedure to make a competent decision, that they could contact her. Free of charge, she would do the research necessary and provide them with details, sources, phone numbers and names, so that they would have the ability to contact the same people to double check Wison's information.
Selectman Heath and Selectman Torno thanked Ms. Wilson, stating that might be helpful in the future.
Lebanon taxpayer Dana Coull, asked Selectman Torno if she planned on researching wire transfers at any time in the future, so that should the opportunity represent itself in the future, when everyday town business called for the use of a wire transfer, she would be more prepared to make a better decision, and Selectman Torno answered that she would look into it.
Resident Paula Busby stated that millions of dollars a day were transferred by businesses in this country by wire. She stated that she was bothered most by the fact that we had two people in the Treasurer's office who did not know the ease or safety of a simple wire transfer.
Once again, Selectman Torno stated that this was her decision and not that of either of the two Treasurers, and that she felt she had not had adequate time to research wire transfers or the auction company so she had not felt comfortable with authorizing the wire transfer.
Ms. Wilson asked the Board if they had any applicants for Town Clerk at this time. Selectman Heath stated that they had several applications.
There were no other orders of business.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:27 pm.
Selectman Torno stated that she would be staying at the Town Office for a while as she had some reading to do.
Selectman Nadeau and Selectman Heath both left the building at 6:35 pm, locking the door behind them.
Wilson asked Selectman Heath why he was locking the door, leaving a resident and a Selectman locked in Town Office.
He stated that he had been instructed to do so.
Selectman Torno and Laura Bragg remained in the Selectmen's meeting room, with the Town Office doors locked, until 7:40 pm when they emerged together, leaving for the evening.
Wilson, Busby, Coull and Thompson were witnesses to the time.